Bottom ironer



G. SCHULTZ ETAL Oct. 16, 1962 BOTTOM IRONER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 8, 1961 INVTORS. {GEQRGE SCHULTZ and/M1 ECZYSLAW DZIKI K ATTORNEY.

Oct. 16, 1962 e. SCHULTZ ETAL 3,053,131

BOTTOM IRONER Filed Feb. 8, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 GEORGE SCHULTZ and M/ECZYSLAW DZIK ATTQRNEY.

G. SCHULTZ ETAL BOTTOM IRONER Oct. '16, 1962 Filed Feb. 8, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.6

FIG.5

d .m 5 MUM TUM Nw E V A EL W 6 2 0 ME M ATTORNEY United States Patent Z,058,131 BOTTGM IRQNER George Schultz, Mattapan, and Mieczyslaw Dz'iki, Dedliam, Mass, assignors to Industrial Shoe Machinery Corp, Roxhury, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Feb. 8, 1% Ser. No. 87,886 2 (Jlaims. (Cl. 12-535) This invention relates to a resilient heating device adapted to be pressed against a selected object. In particular it relates to a bottom ironer used in the manufacture of shoes to iron out the wrinkles on the bottom margin of a shoe upper to which the innersole has been attached.

Devices have been previously described for applying both pressure and heat to the margins of uppers on the bottoms of lasted shoes before outsoles are placed on the shoes. However, such machines as have been previously described have had one or more important limitations. One of these limitations is the fact that the prior art machines often require separate and complicated contour settings or are limited to a single contour. Another limitation in certain prior art machines is that the ironing operation is limited to a certain portion of the shoe as, for example, the forepart or shank, rather than the entire shoe. A further problem associated with prior art machines is that they are limited to either right or left shoes and can only be used with certain heel heights.

One object of this invention is to provide a bottom ironer which will have none of the above stated disadvantages.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a bottom ironer which is suitable for automatic operation. Still another object of this invention is to prow'de a resilient heating device which can be pressed against a surface and accommodate to the contour thereof.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the description and claims which follow and from the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the box portion of the device.

FIG. 3 is a cross section along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

!FIG. 4 is a view as in FIG. 2 but with the top plate removed.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an end view of heating block 42.

FIG. 7 is a side view of heating block 42.

FIG. 8 is a top view of heating block 24.

FIG. 9 is an end view of heating block 24 showing the combination with other components.

FIG. 10 is a side view of heating block 25.

FIG. 11 is a top View of heating block 25.

In its broadest sense, the invention comprises a frame housing a plurality of spaced vertically resilient support members including heating means and a spring-like metal ironing plate means having one free end and arranged to contact the top surface of said support members.

In its use as a shoe-button ironer the invention comprises essentially a shoe-bottom heating unit comprising a plurality of pairs of opposing vertically resilient means spaced in two rows, a plurality of support members each spaced across one of said opposing pairs of resilient means and supported thereby, heating means either supported by or included in said support member and a spring-like metal ironing plate having one free end and arranged to contact the top surfaces of said heating means and support members. The entire shoe-bottom heating unit is normally housed in a vertically movable frame arranged to be pressed against the shoe bottom. The shoe assembly can be arranged to engage fixed upper toe and heel holders for applying pressure.

The resilient means are so selected that the ironing plate in rest position forms a contour similar to the average contour of a selected group of lasts. In operation the heaters are turned on, the assembly of innersole, upper and last is placed on the ironing plate and then the box is raised causing the toe and heel holders to engage the shoe. The heat and pressure are maintained for a suitable short period of time and the box is then lowered completing the operation. By using a number of arrays of boxes and holders in a single machine a single operator can use one array while the other arrays are engaged. This invention provides self-adjustment and returns to the average contour upon removal of the shoe assembly. When engaging a shoe assembly, it takes the contour of the last.

In addition to its use as shoe-bottom ironer the present invention can be used wherever it is desired to have a single device for applying heat and pressure to surfaces of varied contour. Thus, for example, the invention can be used as a sole layer by placing a sole pad on the ironing plate. Also, it can be used to mold insoles onto shoe uppers by making it the bottom portion of a mold.

In its preferred construction the resilient means comprise compression springs housed in vertical retainers as tubes or channels in blocks. The support members are preferably dual rotatable inwardly tapering truncated cones supported on a transverse rotatable pin positioned on a pair of said springs. The heating means are preferably electrically-heated shaped blocks supported by one or more pairs of rotatable pins, each pin extending across one pair of springs and adjacent to the top thereof.

In the illustrated form of this invention there are two heating blocks for the toe portion, one heating block for the heel portion and one heating block for the shank portion. The ironing plate preferably comprises a layer of copper-beryllium alloy and a layer of steel and is attached at the heel end. In .the illustrated embodiment the iron-' ing plate is formed as two adjacent longitudinal 0.030 inch thick strips which have a slight overlap. The copperberyllium layer is in contact with the heating block and the steel layer is on top in contact with the shoe assembly. Preferably an additional strip of copper-beryllium is provided at the toe-heating blocks area to increase conductivity.

When the shoe heating unit is raised to engage the shoe bottom there is suflicient lateral movement of the two ironing plate strips so as to provide a wiping action on the margins of the shoe bottom.

The desired average contour in rest position is achieved by selecting a particular maximum height for each springsupported transverse pin. This can be done by providing vertical slots in the spring retainers and having the pins extend through the slots. Proper spring-load ratios should also be considered. A particular desired contour will normally depend on the height of the heel to which the shoe will be attached, which is approximated by the use of steel pads. In many cases the resistive forces are highest in the shank, next highest in the heel and lowest in the forepart.

The shoe-bottom heating unit illustrated in the drawings is enclosed within a frame 11 of box-like construction attached to the top of a piston ram and slidable on two vertical posts 13a and 13!) set into the base 10. The posts 13a and 13b are connected together by a top frame member 13c. Through the center of the cross-over frame is an opening through which pivotable toe and heel holders are suspended on a yoke 13d. Yoke 13d supports a pivotable slotted bar 14. The pivotable toe and heel holder assemblies are adj'ustably positioned in the slot. A firm heel pad 16 is positioned by cam lock 16b while cushiony toe pad 17 is positioned by cam lock 17b.

The shoe-bottom heating unit comprises two parallel longitudinal plates 19 and 20 on opposite sides of the frame, each having seven opposing openings 119 and 120 respectively. Beneath the plate and registering with each hole is a vertical tube, designated on the plate 20 side as Nos' 151 through 157 and designated on the plate 19 side as Nos. 51 through 57. Each of these tubes has a vertical slot (510 through 570, 1510 through 1571:) of selected height. Through each opposing pair of slots, e.g. 51c and 1510, is a pin. The pins are designated as 31 through 37. There are lock nuts on each end of each pin to hold it in position, the nuts being designated as 51b through 57b and 151b through 1571). (Ordinary nuts and cotter pins can be used in place of lock nuts.)

Inside each of these slotted tubes is a vertical spring (FIG. 3), designated as 51a through 57a and 151a through 157a. The pins 31 through 37 rest upon opposing pairs of springs. Each pin goes through a bore in a plate contacting member. Thus, pin 31 which is at the heel side goes through heel heating block 25, as also does pin 32. Pin 33 supports two inwardly tapering truncated cones 27a and 27b and pin 35 supports two inwardly tapering cones 26a and 26b. Pin 34 goes through heating block 42, while pins 36 and 37 support heating blocks 23 and 24 in the front portion.

On top and in contact with the heating blocks 23, 24, 25 and 42 and the support members 26 and 27 is a longitudinally split curved spring-like ironing plate comprising a laminate of 0.015 inch steel and 0.015 inch of copperberyllium alloy. The split plates designated as 18a and 18b are held firmly in position at the cross bar 19a. The top layer of steel is designated as 118 and the bottom layer of beryllium copper alloy is designated as 218. There is a separate copper-beryllium layer 318 which is not laminated to 118 and 218, but instead, is held in position at the end of heating block 23, lies directly on top of the heating block but below 118-218 and is co-extensive with the top surface of block 23. In addition, transverse stops 40 and 41 are provided to maintain plate 18a-18b in proper position when at rest.

The heating blocks have certain favored construction. Thus, for example, the top surface of each of the heating blocks 23 and 24 has a depression 24a or 25a to accommodate layer 318 of the split plate so as to make it flush with ridges 23b or 24b. Heating block 25 has a depression 125 so as to give more accommodation for the heel portion of the shoe. Heating block 42 is uniformly inwardly bevelled from each side so as to make a truer contour adjustment. Heating is done with inserted electric heating elements, eg element 42a inserted in heating block 42, 25a and 25b inserted in heating block 25, 22 inserted in heating block 24, 21 inserted in heating block 23.

In operation the heaters 21, 22, 25a, 25b and 42a are turned on, the assembly of innersole, upper and last is placed on the ironing plates 18a and 18b and then the frame 11 is raised causing the toe holder 17 and heel holder 16 to engage the shoe assembly. When this is done there is sufficient lateral movement of the two strips 18a and 18b so as to provide a wiping action on the margins of the shoe bottom. The heat and pressure are maintained for a suitable period of time and the frame 11 is then lowered, completing the operation.

The embodiment illustrated and described above is only one example of this invention. The details of construction may be varied. Thus, for example, the resilient means need not be a spring but could be a piston and cylinder type with either air or fluid under a predetermined pressure. Such arrangements have been described for shock absorbers or suspension systems in automobiles. Further, a single median row of resilient means could be used if the individual resilient means are sufficient width.

Although the invention has been described with some degree of particularity it is obvious that various modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of this invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A shoe bottom ironer comprising a frame, a plurality of pairs of vertically resilient means supported by said frame and arranged in two longitudinal rows, a plurality of separate transverse support members supported by said pairs of resilient means, and resilient metal ironing plate means attached at only one end to said frame; said support members including heating means; each said support members being arranged to have a selected maximum height so that the collective maximum heights of the support members provide a top surface of selected contour; said spring-like ironing plate being arranged to be in contact with the top surfaces of said support members at their maximum height.

2. A shoe bottom ironer cooperable with heel and toe holders, said ironer comprising a frame, two longitudinal rows of vertically resilient means each housed in a vertical tubular channel having vertical slots of a selected height, a separate transverse member extending across each pair of said resilient means and through said slots, a plurality of support members carried by said transverse members References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,095,245 Finn Oct. 13, 1937 2,985,901 Actis May 30, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 356,685 Germany July 21, 1922 

